INCOME TAXES

The following table presents the components of the provision for income taxes included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):



	Years Ended December 31
	2017			2016		2015
Current
Federal	$	30,961		$	29,787	$	24,683
State	3,085			2,477		1,399
Total Current	34,046			32,264		26,082

Deferred
Federal	58,646			9,908		(3,310		)
State	(2,204		)	2,083		(23		)
Total Deferred	56,442			11,991		(3,333		)

Provision for income taxes	$	90,488		$	44,255	$	22,749

The following table presents the reconciliation of the federal statutory rate to the actual effective rate for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015:



	Years Ended December 31
	2017		2016		2015
Federal income tax statutory rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
Increase (decrease) in tax rate due to:
Tax-exempt interest	(2.6	)	(2.6	)	(3.9	)
Investment in life insurance	(1.1	)	(1.2	)	(1.3	)
State income taxes, net of federal tax offset	2.0		2.2		1.1
Tax credits	(0.6	)	(0.8	)	(1.6	)
Merger and acquisition costs	—		—		1.9
Federal law change	28.2		—		—
Other	(1.1	)	1.5		2.3
Effective income tax rate	59.8	%	34.1	%	33.5	%

The following table reflects the effect of temporary differences that gave rise to the components of the net deferred tax asset as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):



	December 31
	2017			2016
Deferred tax assets:
Loan loss and REO	$	22,294		$	36,719
Deferred compensation	13,045			23,189
Net operating loss carryforward	43,721			82,714
Federal and state tax credits	7,614			7,711
State net operating losses	6,706			7,396
Loan discount	4,736			9,696
Other	4,326			6,217
Total deferred tax assets	102,442			173,642
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation	(1,343		)	(2,218		)
Deferred loan fees, servicing rights and loan origination costs	(9,564		)	(13,291		)
Intangibles	(5,690		)	(11,178		)
Financial instruments accounted for under fair value accounting	(9,702		)	(16,186		)
Other	(325		)	(880		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(26,624		)	(43,753		)
Deferred income tax asset	75,818			129,889
Valuation allowance	(4,391		)	(2,195		)
Deferred tax asset, net	$	71,427		$	127,694

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recognized or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income tax expense in the period of enactment. In December 2017, the federal government enacted the 2017 Tax Act. Among other provisions, the 2017 Tax Act reduced the federal marginal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. As a result of the passage of the 2017 Tax Act, the Company recorded a $42.6 million charge for the revaluation of its net deferred tax asset to account for the future impact of the decrease in the corporate income tax rate and other provisions of the legislation. The charge was recorded as an increase to tax expense and reduction of the net deferred tax asset. The $42.6 million charge recorded by the Company included $4.2 million of provisional income tax expense related to AMT credits that are limited under Section 383 of the Code, which resulted in a reduction in the AMT deferred tax asset. The adjustments to deferred tax assets and receivables related to the refundable nature of AMT credits are provisional amounts estimated based on information available as of December 31, 2017. As a result, these amounts could be adjusted during the measurement period, which will end in December 2018. The Company did not identify items for which the income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act have not been completed and a reasonable estimate could not be determined as of December 31, 2017. The utilization of the limited AMT credits under the refundable AMT credit law is uncertain and subject to change as the Company obtains additional guidance on application of the law. The Company will recognize any changes to the provisional amounts as management refines estimates of cumulative temporary differences, and their interpretations of the application of the 2017 Tax Act. The Company expects to complete its analysis of the provisional items during the second half of 2018.

At December 31, 2017, the Company has federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $208.2 million. The Company also has $94.6 million state net operating loss carryforwards, which the Company has established a $184,000 valuation reserve against. The federal and state net operating losses will expire, if unused, by the end of 2034. The Company has federal general business credit carryforwards at December 31, 2017 of $3.4 million, which will expire, if unused, by the end of 2031. The Company also has federal alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards of $4.2 million, which are available to reduce future federal regular income taxes, if any, over a five-year period under the new tax law. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had established a $4.2 million valuation reserve against its alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards. Additionally, at December 31, 2017, the Company has no state credit carryovers. At December 31, 2016, the Company had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $236.3 million and $145.8 million, respectively, and federal general business credits carryforwards of $3.3 million. At that same date, the Company also had federal alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards of approximately $4.2 million.

As a consequence of our acquisition of Starbuck Bancshares, Inc., the holding company for AmericanWest Bank (AmericanWest) the Company experienced a change in control within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code. In addition, the underlying Section 382 limitations at Starbuck Bancshares, Inc.'s level continue to apply to the Company. Section 382 limits the ability of a corporate taxpayer to use net operating loss carryforwards, general business credits, and recognized built-in-losses, on an annual basis, incurred prior to the change in control against income earned after the change in control. As a result of the Section 382 limitations, the Company is limited to utilizing $21.5 million on an annual basis (after the application of the Section 382 limitations carried over from Starbuck Bancshares, Inc.) of federal net operating loss carryforwards, general business credits, and recognized built-in losses. The applicable state Section 382 limitations range from $525,000 to $21.5 million. The Company has provided a $184,000 valuation reserve against the portion of its various state net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits that it believes it is more likely than not that it will not realize the benefit because the application of the Section 382 limitations at the state level is based on future apportionment rates.

In addition, as a consequence of Banner's capital raise in June 2010, the Company experienced a change in control within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code. As a result of the Section 382 limitations, the Company is limited to utilizing $6.9 million of net operating loss carryforwards which existed prior to the acquisition of Starbuck Bancshares, Inc., on an annual basis. Based on its analysis, the Company believes it is more likely than not that the June 2010 change in control will not impact its ability to utilize all of the related available net operating loss carryforwards, general business credits, and recognized built-in-losses.

Retained earnings at December 31, 2017 and 2016 included approximately $5.4 million in tax basis bad debt reserves for which no income tax liability has been recorded. In the future, if this tax bad debt reserve is used for purposes other than to absorb bad debts or the Company no longer qualifies as a bank or is completely liquidated, the Company will incur a federal tax liability at the then-prevailing corporate tax rate, established as $1.9 million at December 31, 2017.

Tax credit investments: The Company invests in low income housing tax credit funds that are designed to generate a return primarily through the realization of federal tax credits. The Company accounts for these investments by amortizing the cost of tax credit investments over the life of the investment using a proportional amortization method and tax credit investment amortization expense is a component of the provision for income taxes.

The following table presents the balances of the Company's tax credit investments and related unfunded commitments at December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):



	December 31, 2017		December 31, 2016
Tax credit investments	$	7,311	$	4,654
Unfunded commitments—tax credit investments	4,417		665

The following table presents other information related to the Company's tax credit investments for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):



	For the year ended December 31,
	2017		2016
Tax credits and other tax benefits recognized	$	1,140	$	1,136
Tax credit amortization expense included in provision for income taxes	1,144		672